Shloka 146

Devanagari script

मन्दा: कर्तुमिहेच्छन्ति न चावाप्यं कथंचन । सात्यकिने किंचित्‌ मुसकराते हुए-से उन कौरवोंके इस अभिप्रायको इस प्रकार बताया --'सभासदो! कुछ मूर्ख कौरव एक ऐसा नीच कर्म करना चाहते हैं, जो धर्म, अर्थ और काम सभी दृष्टियोंसे साधुपुरुषोंद्वारा निन्दित है। यद्यपि इस कार्यमें उन्हें किसी प्रकार सफलता नहीं प्राप्त हो सकती

Transliteration

mandāḥ kartum ihecchanti na cāvāpyaṃ kathaṃcana |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Some foolish men here desire to carry out a base deed; yet they will not attain success in it by any means.” In context, the intent is portrayed as ethically reprehensible—condemned by the good as contrary to dharma, artha, and kāma—and ultimately futile.

Word by Word

• {'mandāḥ': 'dull-witted, foolish persons', 'kartum': 'to do, to carry out', 'iha': 'here

• in this situation', 'icchanti': 'they desire, they wish', 'na': 'not', 'ca': 'and', 'āvāpyaṃ': 'to be obtained/achieved

• attainment, success (that which is attainable)', 'kathaṃcana': 'in any way, by any means'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sātyaki
• Kauravas
• sabhasadas (assembly members)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ignoble actions born of folly are censured by the virtuous and, being opposed to dharma, tend toward failure; ethical wrongdoing is presented as both blameworthy and ultimately fruitless.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that certain Kauravas are intent on a low scheme; the surrounding prose context frames this as a plan criticized on moral grounds and predicted to fail, with Sātyaki’s stance conveyed to the assembly.